Bollin’s youngsters secure Maths Challenge victory

Bollin Primary School discovered the ‘winning formula’ as they triumphed in a series of puzzles at the annual St Ambrose College Maths Challenge.

Over 100 of Trafford’s brightest young stars from 26 local primary schools took part in an intellectual Olympics that tested the students to the limit.

It was the team of Sanjhbati Chakraborty, Isabelle Marsden, Harris Asif and Ayman Abdelal who finished as winners ahead of representatives from Stamford Park in second and Wellfield Junior School in third.

Sanjhbati, who wants to be a maths professor, said: “I love Maths because there are lots of problems to solve and it’s really interesting finding the different ways.”

Bollin’s youngsters with their trophy for winning the Maths Challenge at St Ambrose College

Isabelle added: “I’ve always been good at maths since as long as I can remember and I love the puzzles.” Harris, who wants to be an electronics engineer, added: “You can look at problems in so many different ways and still find the right answer.” While Ayman said: “It’s not true that there is always one answer, sometimes different answers can both be right.”

There were four rounds covering a relay round, a kinaesthetic puzzle round, a treasure hunt, and a number puzzle.

Andy Chapman, head of St Ambrose’s maths department and one of the organisers, said: “Mathematics is the language of progress and at the heart of mankind’s drive to improve our lot. All the sciences depend on Maths and if Britain is going to continue to make its mark we need more and more talented young mathematicians developing their skills at as early an age as possible.”